March 8, 2021 Result of Appeal for Opinions on Draft Ordinance Etc. for Partial Revisions to Regulations for Enforcement of Postal Act and Ordinance for Enforcement of the Act on Letter Service by Private Business Operators and Report from Information and Communications and Posts Administrative Council

The Act on Partial Amendments to the Postal Act and the Act on Letter Service by Private Business Operators was promulgated on December 4, 2020 (Act No. 70 of 2020, hereafter referred to as the “Revised Act”). In response to this promulgation and to make institutional development, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) made an appeal for opinions from Saturday, January 16 through Monday, February 15, 2021, on a draft ordinance etc. These drafts are for partial revisions to the Regulations for Enforcement of the Postal Act, the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Act on Letter Service by Private Business Operators, etc. As a result, five opinions were submitted. Accordingly, MIC will open the opinions and MIC’s views on the opinions to the public.
Furthermore, MIC submitted an inquiry to the Information and Communications and Posts Administrative Council (chaired by TAGAYA Kazuteru, Professor Emeritus at Chiba University) on February 19, 2021, by considering the result of the appeal for opinions. This inquiry was about the partial revision of the Regulations for Enforcement of the Postal Act (MIC ordinance No. 5 of 2003). In this connection, MIC has today received a report from the Council stating its approval as inquired.
With consideration of the result of the appeal for opinions and this report, MIC will promptly revise the Regulations for Enforcement of the Postal Act.

1. Result of appeal for opinions

MIC made the appeal for opinions from Saturday, January 16 through Monday, February 15, 2021, on the draft ordinance etc., and received five opinions.

2. Report from the Information and Communications and Posts Administrative Council

MIC submitted an inquiry to the Information and Communications and Posts Administrative Council on February 19, 2021, about the partial revision of the Regulations for Enforcement of the Postal Act (MIC ordinance No. 5 of 2003) and has today received a report from the Council stating its approval as inquired.

3. Future plans

Considering the result of the appeal for opinions and this report, MIC will promptly revise the Regulations for Enforcement of the Postal Act.
With consideration of the result of the appeal for opinions, MIC will partially revise the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Act on Letter Service by Private Business Operators (MIC Ordinance No. 27 of 2003) and the Examination Standards related to Letter Service by Private Business Operators (MIC Directive No. 9 of 2003). These revisions will be made after the Revised Act comes into effect.